“My name is Sam and I'm not from here.” A page into the story, the arresting voice of seventeen year old Sam pulls us right in; from here on we want to follow him and discover why he's left his idyllic-sounding home in the mountains to come and fend for himself on the unforgiving streets of London. He finds a job in the local corner store, a bedsit in a shared house in Georgiana Street and intends to stay anonymous and alone, trying to bury all memories of his parents, his dog, Ringo, and his friend Max. However, he hasn't reckoned on the sparky ten year old Bohemia, another resident, there with her hopeless mum who is temporarily between men. Nor on Isabel an older resident, who along with her wonderfully named dog, Doormat, has taken on the role as unofficial caretaker of the rest of the household. Between them they remind Sam of the need we all have for warmth, friendship and the responsibility both entail.
For the most part, we alternate between Sam's point of view and Bohemia's, watching as their connection leads towards the drama and revelation at the end. There are many issues here, loneliness, parental neglect, bullying and forgiveness. All big themes, but in the hands of this writer dealt with a light - and for the most part - understated touch, so that by the end when after an argument with Sam, Bohemia takes it into her head to go on a journey of her own, the power of the story is able to shift up a gear, leading to an emotional and satisfying conclusion.